River Dangers | Tahoe Bears | New UC Davis Coffee Center

Insight With Vicki Gonzalez

The South Yuba River Citizens League discusses summer river safety. Also, what people can do to minimize interactions with urbanized black bears. Finally, a groundbreaking coffee research center opens at UC Davis.

River Dangers

, Executive Director at the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), discusses the dangers of the South Yuba River in Nevada County, what makes this year different than most years, and tips for visitors this summer.

Tahoe Bears

The Lake Tahoe basin is a prime habitat for black bears. They often make their presence known by rummaging through trash cans and breaking into homes and vehicles. Which means that bear encounters with people are pretty common - and in rare cases can be deadly. Last week, a young bear was shot and killed by a homeowner in South Lake Tahoe. Toogee Sielsch is an urbanized black bear expert and discusses what people can do to minimize these negative wildlife experiences. We’re also joined by Alexia Ronning and Eric Kleinfelter. Alexia is a Tahoe Bear Specialist and Eric is a Senior Environmental Scientist and Supervisor for CDFW North Central Region, which includes 17 counties - including San Joaquin, Calaveras, El Dorado, Plumas, Butte, Glenn and Yolo counties.

New UC Davis Coffee Center

A new center at UC Davis is the first academic research and teaching facility in the country dedicated to studying coffee. The Coffee Center opened last month, and offers a variety of research opportunities in roasting, brewing, bean storage and more. Bill Ristenpart, a professor of Chemical Engineering at UC Davis and the Director of the Coffee Center, talks about the science behind coffee, as well as the social and cultural aspects of this popular morning brew.